Search form

You are here

Herb & Spice Series: Dill

April 08, 2014

Dill is fragrant and easy to grow. Its deep green feathery fronds are pleasing to the eye and its belly-soothing properties long extolled. Even its name is mild, coming from an old Norse word dilla, to lull. I say unto you, do not be lulled. For all its demure-seeming ways, in the kitchen, it can be a nervy little herb.

Share This

Today we say thanks to our friend Ellen Kanner for this fabulous and ‘dill’-icious guest post!

Dill is fragrant and easy to grow. Its deep green feathery fronds are pleasing to the eye and its belly-soothing properties long extolled. Even its name is mild, coming from an old Norse word dilla, to lull. I say unto you, do not be lulled. For all its demure-seeming ways, in the kitchen, it can be a nervy little herb.

Unlike parsley and fennel, gentle, chummy herbs to which it’s related, dill, aka Anethem graveolens, likes to dominate a dish. It starts out soft and sweet, but is strong of scent and can be sharp in ﬁnish. I have been wary of it, stemming from an unfortunate childhood incident involving dill pickles — dill’s primary use in commercial food production. However, my husband loves dill, which he fondly associates with his German grandmother and her weighs-a-ton potato kugel. So there needed to be some detente in the dill department. Research and development commenced.

Though dill is beloved in Germany and Scandinavia, I’ve discovered it goes far beyond pickles, kugel, and gravlax. It’s believed to have originated in Egypt at least ﬁve thousand years ago. It has since spread to gardens and kitchens throughout the Mediterranean, the Caucuses, Africa and India, where pairing it with bold guys like tomatoes and peppers or tangy fermented foods like yogurt and feta keeps its strong ﬂavor in check. Some prefer to mute its power by using dill seeds rather than dill weed, but it would be a shame to miss the fresh, ferny pleasures of the herb itself. Something about it evokes spring.

Dill is rich in that must-have mineral calcium. It’s also a nice source of vitamin A, which you need to keep all your bits, from skin to teeth to bones, in ﬁne form. Digestive and restorative, dill has been used to quiet stomach complaint. “Gripe water,” water infused with dill, is a folk remedy for colicky infants. Dill can also do good things for your heart. German tradition calls for brides to tuck a sprig of dill in their wedding bouquets to ensure a happy marriage. Failing to do that, I’ve tucked dill into numerous recipes instead, including the herbal quick bread below, with positive matrimonial results.

Herb Quick BreadTender, lively with spring herbs and a cinch to make. Enjoy by itself, or topped with tapenade, hummus, or roasted vegetables.

In a medium bowl, combine the soy milk and cider vinegar. This creates a mildly tangy, slightly curdled, plant-based version of buttermilk. Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the whole wheat ﬂour, wheat germ, baking powder, and baking soda.

Pour the wet ingredients into the ﬂour mixture, stirring gently to combine. Fold in the chopped herbs, olive oil, agave and salt. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake 45 minutes, until the bread puﬀs and the top forms a golden crust.